Work in Progress

Another reason why I have been missing in action....

Before and mid job of the lower retaining wall off the entry way. You can see the slope was right up against the porch and how much more space is created by pushing it back. you can also see the misplaced hibiscus...

My husband and I have started the next wall project. Landscaping is still a major need and want for this property. Having built our first wall, we are now ready for the second. Already I feel like the slope is not coming in my front door. Just by removing two meters of soil! This will be planted out almost exclusively in camellia and azalea with good ground cover. I will most likely remove that New Zealand Hibiscus. I am not happy with the look when it dies down and it is in the wrong place! It creates an eyesore in the winter months. Will put it hidden back amongst evergreens so when it dies back it is softer to look at.

Our plans are to enclose the porch and create a foyer, so to speak, as my front doors open right onto the stairs that lead down to the playroom. It makes for a very bad entry where your guests are shuffled between stairs, host, hallway and door. I think enclosing the porch in glass and moving the front doors to the side will open that up considerably. I also don't want to loose the morning winter light I get, So the glass is pretty important to me. Louvers are also being considered here as that is were we get our summer breezes in the humid weather. Without the breeze the house is unbearable at night. on the other side of the porch, by the camellia tree we are trying to keep while building, will be a zen like garden. Or so my husband says.... This is his little space to create on his own without any interference from me! It will be off the dining room and will open up via french doors to the enclosed garden for more light and atmosphere while dining. question is do I want to have the porch open with glass facing that garden? or do I leave that wall solid thereby creating a hidden garden effect that guest don't know about until they are seated? hummmmm.....

We were thinking of paving the concrete slab with sandstone at one point, but now we both are coming around to decking it. Trying to create the illusion of a tree house with a wrap around deck. This will also tie in the back veranda and extension deck on the side of the house to the front. At the moment, I am trying to convince him that wrapping the brick stairs in Decking and using the stone pavers on the foothold would also bring the deck up to the street level as well as warming up the pavers and tying it back into the block and bush rock walls.

Finding so many rocks and having no where to put them, I have built the second Terrace. It will balance out the other side. I have made a little pebbled path for easier access to maintain the slope. and Have just started thinking about plants for spring. What I have planted to date has all been from cuttings or from collecting plants that others have been throwing away on the side of the road for council clean up. Mostly, agapanthus, mondo grass, spider plants (so we call them in the states) and these super great plants that grow well and I just keep dividing every couple of moths. I think they are called moses in the cradle. But I am not sure. Love the dark green with purple underside though. Keeping to purples and greens leaves with splahes of color.

So far, I have only paid for the decorative rocks and the weed mat! I will put up a treated pine boarder to cover the weed mat and retain the soil so it doesn't fall into my gravel. I am very pleased to date with the way this is progressing.

Before and after shots of the first wall.

I put scavenged plants in this bed to maintain them for replanting. I am pleased with the result though! I may fill in more with the zebra plant and the sweet pea plants. I think the inpatients like it here as well. The peace lilies are not happy. May have to just move them indoors.... Will see how they fare this winter. I love cyclamen, I will keep adding more around to the lower bed once the soil is prepared better. At the moment, the lower bed soil is horrible but the Mondo and the Moses in the Cradle are doing well enough.